Everald Compton has a personal website called, "Everald Compton", where his latest contribution can also be read. In his previous attempt to enlighten us, he aggressively promoted a book he has written; he slips in a mention of it in this piece as well. Everald seems very keen on development kicked off by tax payers money, and, perhaps the reason is to found in his bio, which reveals that he is the chairman of a construction company called Tenement to Terminal Ltd., and is also a consultant to ATEC Rail. More advertising of his wares?

Posted by ttbn, Wednesday, 4 May 2016 5:03:23 PM

"Everald seems very keen on development kicked off by tax payers money."

Sounds like a case of socialism for business and capitalism for the taxpayers to me.

Posted by Referundemdrivensocienty, Wednesday, 4 May 2016 7:47:05 PM

Why not discuss what is being suggested in the article instead of attacking the author?

Posted by JF Aus, Wednesday, 4 May 2016 8:59:02 PM

Good call JF.

As to Australian politicians backing smart development with taxpayer funds?

All the visionary Pragmatists, like Lee Kwun Yu, are elsewhere and started with far less!

Singapore went from a tiny dirt poor economic basket case in the fifties to a tiger economy today. And just by backing future vision, their own folks and their better ideas, with uncommon courage and resolve!

We used to own a highly profitable telco, a bank, a couple of airlines, insurance companies, and just about all power generation and distribution. Bought and paid for via the sacrifices of previous generations.

The combined profits from which could have paid a vastly more generous aged pension?

The rivers of gold that flowed from the mining booms could have set us up for a vastly more prosperous future, but were wasted by ideologues buying votes?

One recalls how Lance Hancock went cap in hand round nearly very parliament in the land looking for development funds for veritable mountains of the world's finest iron ore. Only to run into brick walls all mindlessly parroting,"the government has no business in business".

Eventually he gave up and allowed foreign investors with little more than a worthless letter of credit to start the Pilbra's iron ore industry, which has earned the developers tens of billions per! And totaling hundreds of Billions that could have been quite massively swelling government coffers now but for trembling timidity?

And this fundamentally flawed mindset. I believe, is still at the helm making the same puerile claims that simply fly in the face of international examples and experience.

Were I you , I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for pragmatism to emerge triumphant from any of our parliaments any time soon; or even the national interest trumping self service or patent partisan party politics!? Alan B.

Posted by Alan B., Wednesday, 4 May 2016 10:15:06 PM

JF,

This country is up to its ears in debt. That's why Compton's brain storm is not worth discussing. The man is a windbag, and probably a rent-seeker wanting to get his mitts into public money, given his business connections. When it comes to big ideas, I'm all for private enterprise spending its own money and making as much profit as they legally can. But, it is not the role of governments to be payrolling private enterprise with with taxpayers' money. If the Comptons of this world want to risk their OWN money in the hope of good returns, good luck to them, but it is not any government's place to be speculating with citizens' money. They have proved over and over that they are incompetent money managers, most of their numbers not having had a proper job in their lives. Besides, Australia has no need whatever to develop - or ruin - the north.

Posted by ttbn, Wednesday, 4 May 2016 11:03:17 PM

There is a simple solution. Divide Australia into north and south and offer the North up for auction. I am sure the Israilies or the Chinese could make it profitable and our politicians can have more junkets overseas and line their pockets.